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The Health Benefits of Vinegar and Honey

May 30, 2017 11:46

The health benefits of the apple cider vinegar and honey drink are widely known. This recipe has traditionally been used as an at-home self remedy for many ailments, and even as an anti-aging elixir. Many people have recognised and made use of its cleansing and disinfecting properties to self-detoxify their body. It is seen as a powerful cleansing agent and natural healing elixir with naturally occurring antibiotic and antiseptic that fights germs and bacteria.

Alkaline-Forming Diet

So, how does this vinegar and honey remedy actually work? As pointed out by most nutrition mantras, a person's bloodstream tends toward becoming acidic with our modern diet of fats, starches and processed foods, (e.g fast foods, meats, peanuts, seafoods, alcohol and coffee)and if your body is acidic, disease can flourish; if it is alkaline, it is in balance and can fight off germs and ailments such as bladder and kidney conditions, osteoporosis, brittle bones, joint pains, aching muscles, low energy and chronic fatigue, and slow digestion.

Raw fruits, leafy green vegetables, legumes, and tea are examples of alkaline forming or promoting foods. Interestingly and ironically, a food's acid or alkaline-forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. For instance, lemons and limes are very acidic, however the end-products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so lemons and limes are alkaline-forming in the body. Likewise, meat will test alkaline before digestion but it leaves very acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is very acid-forming. It is important to know that stomach acid or the pH of the stomach is an entirely different matter from the pH of the body's fluids and tissues.

The body has an acid-alkaline (or acid-base) ratio called the pH which is a balance between positively charges ions (acid-forming) and negatively charged ions (alkaline-forming). When this balance is compromised many problems can occur. The body is forced to borrow minerals, including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium from vital organs and bones to neutralize the acid and safely remove it from the body. And severe damage can be done to the body due to high acidity. Ideally, for most people, the ideal diet is 75 percent alkalizing and 25 percent acidifying foods by volume. Allergic reactions and other forms of stress also tend to produce excessive acids in the body. The alkaline-forming ability of apple cider vinegar can correct excess acidity in our system and help prevent and fight infection.

Acidity of Vinegar for Health

Dr D. C. Jarvis, the author of the famous book Folk Medicine (1958), and great advocate of the vinegar and honey drink however explains the benefits of the concoction differently from the above theory. No reference of alkaline foods and acid producing foods was made in his premise. Instead he expounded on how cider vinegar could effectively acidify the urine and prevent urinary tract infections, and how the acidification of the vinegar could prevent colds, sinusitis, neuralgia, digestive ailments, headaches, and a myriad of other ailments. He also postulated that the powerful acidity of the vinegar could dissolve calcium deposits in the joints of the body in arthritic patients. Today, cider vinegar and honey is known to be a effective remedy for rheumatism and arthrits.power of honey in cider vinegar image

How about honey?

Every sweet food has a low pH and that is the nature of sugar. However, bees' honey is unique. Researchers have discovered that 45 minutes after eating raw honey, blood tests showed more alkalinity. Diabetics also have lower blood sugar 45 minutes after eating honey. This is because, unlike processed sugar and artifical sweeteners, honey is very quickly absorbed into the body cells for fuel use, rather than sitting in the blood.

When you first drink the apple cider vinegar formula, it might not taste too pleasant, especially if your taste buds don't take well to fermented juice, but this is subjective. Nevertheless, the taste is often acquired over time and as your body becomes less acidic and more alkaline, it tends to taste better. While honey added to the vinegar does naturally make the mixture a lot more drinkable for most people, the purpose of mixing honey goes beyond pleasing the taste buds. D.C. Jarvis, M.D in his book, Folk Medicine (1958) recommends adding honey as it enhances the healing power of the vinegar. He even has a special name for this honey and cider vinegar drink - Honegar. The ailments that could be cured by this apple cider vinegar and honey treatment include:

Essentially, to prepare:1. Mix apple cider vinegar (half to 1 tablespoon) and raw honey (half to 1 tablespoon). (Note: Apple cider vinegar is actually made from fresh, organic, crushed apples that are allowed to mature naturally in wooden barrels, but you can get it easily from the grocery shops or supermarkets.) 2. Dissolve in a glass of water (10-20oz). 3. Take it once or twice daily.

FAQ: Can I premix this drink in a large quantity so that there's no need to prepare it everyday?If you are drinking a few glasses a day, mix just enough to supply one or two days and keep it in the fridge. It's best to drink the concoction as fresh as possible, considering that it is actually a rather simple drink to prepare. The chances of bacteria growth during storage increase as the concentration of the vinegar and honey drops with dilution of water.

FAQ: Which type of cider vinegar should I get?* For this vinegar and honey remedy, do not get commercial distilled vinegars as they do not contain the same health values of organic, raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar (often called vinegar with The Mother). The powerful enzymes and minerals like potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, sulphur, iron copper, fluorine, silicon, pectin and natural malic and tartaric acids, which are important in fighting body toxins and inhibiting bacteria growth, are all destroyed during the distilling process. Full account in: Is Apple Cider the Same as Apple Juice?* The above recipe is based on Bragg Cider Vinegar. Some brands of cider vinegar taste more sour than others, so adjust the amount to be mixed with water according to your own preference.